Usable Clicks

Foursquare Hints at the Value in Mobile Social Networks

Over the last few months we at UC have been testing Foursquare, a mobile social network that launched at SXSWi in March.  Foursquare is the latest in mobile social networking, following in the vein of Dodgeball (created by the same founders years earlier), Loopt, Brightkite, and many others.  Before Foursquare, I had not yet played with a mobile social network; rather, I had been satisfied with signing on to Facebook via my phone to keep up on what my friends are doing.  As I’ve spent some time with Foursquare, however, it’s become more clear to me how useful and valuable mobile-specific features are.  This doesn’t necessarily mean the social network features have to be designed for the phone, rather the content has to leverage and contribute to the power of movement and location.

To be clear, I’m not evaluating foursquare itself.  It’s certainly in it’s infancy, and unless you’re on an iPhone using their iPhone app (I have an Android phone), it relies on a WAP site that is not all that impressive.  However, the basic elements that are being developed are engaging, addictive, and very useful.

Right now, users interact with Foursquare by “checking in” at a location, along with a simple statement about the location.  Users can post where they want to go, where they’ve been, and most importantly where they are right now.  Quickly it begins to feel like a more impulsive quicker to digest Yelp.  Its Yelp-ism is what makes it so powerful, and why I expect it to be successful. 

Take for example the screenshot of my phone.  Today at lunch I checked in at Bruce’s Burger, a nearby burger joint, when I was headed to lunch.  If any of my friends were had checked in around the area, foursquare would be able to tell me and suggest that I meet them for a lunch break.  Also, if one of my friends had already eaten at Bruce’s Burger, it could show me their feedback on the restaurant so I’d know whether it was worth it or what to order.  In this case, Foursquare gave me an update on another recent nearby that one of my contacts had visited, and showed me my friend’s feedback on it.  Instantly I knew about another lunch option, through the trust funnel of my social connections.

 It’s not hard to see why companies and brands will want to be involved with Foursquare.  There is real power in connecting with people that want to explore new places, right when they are out and about.  It will be up to everyone involved to create a user experience that aids the user, rather than turns them off to Foursquare.  But the potential of  mobile social networks in some form is becoming clearer, and I’m looking forward to it both as a user and an advertiser.